Apple has a long habit of unveiling new macOS versions in June, beta testing them all summer, then releasing them in September. Not this year.
Turns out Mac owners will have to wait until next month.
macOS Catalina release date isn’t in September
This is not some nasty rumor. Apple’s webpage for macOS 10.15 notes clearly that it will be “Available in October.”
The company never committed to a release schedule so one can’t really say that an October debut makes Catalina late. That said, macOS Mojave, High Sierra and Sierra all had September release dates.
This is likely to be extra frustrating for Mac users because iPhone and iPad will have received two updates by that date. iOS 13 is scheduled to debut on September 19, while iOS 13.1 will launch on Sept. 30. Of course, the just-announced iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Pro models all require iOS 13, so Apple can’t postpone its release past the date these handsets reach customer hands: Sept. 20.
What to look forward to in macOS Catalina
The next version of the operating system for Apple desktops and laptops will see iTunes split up into several applications: Apple Music, Apple Podcast and Apple TV.
Catalina also brings Sidecar: the built-in ability to use an iPad as a second display. And ScreenTime makes the jump from iOS.
Speaking of bringing in iOS apps, developers can get excited about Catalyst as it simplifies the process of porting iPad apps over to the Mac.
